The Blind Date
by PhantomMoonfrostDragon
Summary: Anger-driven decisions and a bribe start the ball rolling. Armin and Erwin, tired of watching their best friends sink into a funk (in the case of Eren) or drop into severe mood swings (in the case of Levi), hatch a plan to drag the two together via a blind date at a little coffee shop. It looks like a fiasco from the start but first impressions aren't always right.
1. Chapter 1

Well, hi. First time writing in the SnK/AoT fandom but not my first time writing a fic by a long shot. That said, I'm obligated to warn you that I am the shittiest updater in the history of shitty updaters. Don't believe me? I once took almost a year to post a new chapter. I can already say that I'll _try_ to update weekly but my past record of writer's block says otherwise. Oh, and my internet sucks (seriously, it's dial up). That said, hopefully you enjoy the ride.

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"Seriously!? _Jean_? As in horseface?" Eren stared at his adopted sister, mouth ajar in shock, and teal eyes narrowing in budding fury. Mikasa looked less than unimpressed with the situation, her arms folded over her chest and the same bored expression adhered firmly to her face. Eren had to pause to inhale slowly before he choked on his own spit. "I can't believe you." He didn't need to explain why. Out of everyone in their circle of friends, Jean was the only one who regularly rubbed Eren the wrong way. More often than not, the two ended in up shouting matches that escalated into near physical violence. Eren didn't really know what it was about Jean that pissed him off so much besides his cocky, holier-than-thou attitude.

"I told you he'd take it well..." Armin was located all the way across the living room, safely out of range of Eren's ire and Mikasa's icy stoicism. He had warned her about telling Eren her decision before the brunet went to work but, as usual, she had to do things her way. The glower that Eren leveled at the blond had him cringing into his chair and raising his book up slightly as a shield. Eren was _pissed_.

"I'm allowed to date whoever I want, Eren." Mikasa's tone held an edge of anger in it and she had shifted her weight to one side. She hadn't really expected Eren to take the news well but this display of fury was beyond what she had anticipated. Usually, he just threw his hands in the air and sulked for a few hours… not yelled at her with his eyes practically glowing with anger.

"Oh, and I'm not? You certainly chased off the last one very fast." Eren practically threw himself into Mikasa's face, hissing like a kettle boiling over. "Yes, _you_ can do what _you_ like but I'm not allowed?"

"Eren, we both know she wasn't going to be any good for you." Mikasa had taken on the placating 'mom' tone that Eren loathed. In his corner, Armin cringed down behind his book and hunched his shoulders up to protect his ears. He would have to do damage control on both fronts now, apparently, instead of just calming Eren down. _Thanks, Mikasa._

"You're not my fucking _mother_ , Mikasa! Stop trying to be!" Eren whipped around before his sister had a chance to even open her mouth. "No. I do _not_ want to hear it. Just leave me be. Go find your stupid ass boyfriend and complain. I'm sure he'll jump right in there with you." Eren slammed out the door, almost forgetting to grab his wallet off the table with his keys, and left behind a very uncomfortable silence.

"You just had to say that didn't you? You know he hates it when you baby him." Armin rubbed at his temples wearily. This kind of scene happened at least once a week. Mikasa didn't deign to reply, rolling her eyes. Armin knew her thoughts well enough, having roomed with the two since they were all sixteen. 'Eren needs someone to look out for him. He doesn't make good decisions all the time.' There was some merit to the statements, yes, but Eren's personality didn't really take well to excessive coddling. It wasn't all Mikasa's fault, part of it was a result from childhood trauma, but she hadn't made an effort to try to understand where Eren was coming from. "Seriously, maybe you should lay off him for a while. Let him make a mistake or ten. It'd be good for him." Armin raised an eyebrow at the black haired girl in challenge. _Maybe she'll listen today…._

"I guess." Mikasa turned away and into the hallway leading to her room. Armin silently cheered to himself. That was about as good as it got with Mikasa unless she had pushed Eren too far and he snapped completely at her. It had only happened twice before so far, but it always ended with Mikasa folding to whatever he said and then later finding a way to forget he had said anything. Armin sighed and stretched out to pick up his cell phone now that the civil war was over. He had heard it vibrate earlier but hadn't dared move, lest he set off the two siblings. It was from Erwin, his kind of maybe boyfriend and the message made Armin want to bang his head on a table.

After checking the time to make sure that he wouldn't be interrupting anything on Erwin's side, the blonde called him back. He was already starting to formulate a plan. He settled into the soft armchair, squirming to get comfortable, as the phone rang. Maybe this could work for both of them.

"Hello, Armin." Erwin answered after the third ring. He sounded nearly as exasperated as Armin felt.

"Hey. So what's going on? 'Levi is going to be the death of me' is a little vague of a text, you know."

"It's true though. He won't stop sulking and he has the entire photography department terrified to go near him right now. Six interns have terminated early, Armin. _Six_."

"Good lord. He's still that upset?"

"Armin, when does he ever do anything by halves? He's letting it fester and it's not good for anyone. Hell, even _Hanji_ has been walking on eggshells around him." There was the sounds of another voice in the room before Erwin continued, "and Mike claims that Levi smells wrong lately. Whatever the hell that might mean."

"It must be bad if Hanji's minding their manners…. Things aren't really going too smoothly on this side either." Armin rubbed at his temples again and sighed. "Mikasa and Jean hooked up."

There was a pause from Erwin. It was quiet enough that Armin could hear Hanji whining at Mike in the background and he rubbed his temples again. "…. And Eren is furious, isn't he?" Erwin's tone made it more of a statement than a question.

"He was doing fine until she decided to play the 'I can date who I want' line when she all but browbeat Eren's last partner away," Armin could imagine the cringe on Erwin's face, his eyebrows drawn together and his eyes shut, "I'd imagine the poor kid's going to be having nightmares for a while. Eren didn't take _that_ comment well and he left in an absolute fury." It was a well-known secret in their circle that Mikasa was scarily protective of Eren. Just like how everyone knew that Eren and Jean should never be left alone or be made to sit too near one another. The only one who likely didn't know was Levi, unless he'd heard it through his flatmates. Armin tried to avoid him when he could. He had the feeling that Levi didn't like him much.

"Oh dear. Sounds like we're all having a joyous evening." Erwin finally replied, sounding like he was ready to hit his head off something,

"Mhm. But, I did have an idea. Eren's mad enough at Mikasa that he'll probably do something stupid to spite her." Armin leaned forward, grinning even though he knew Erwin couldn't see him. This is where his planning abilities were useful, aside from in class.

"You sound like that's a good thing. Why would it be?"

"Well, you said Levi is sulking around. I know Eren's going to sulk and then snap. What if we try to set them up with each other?" Armin snickered. "It's perfect. They're not polar opposites but they're not exactly carbon copies either. They should balance each other out, assuming they give each other the chance to get to know one another. It's perfect."

"How on earth am I supposed to get Levi to agree to this? You know what he's like when he's in one of his moods."

"I don't know? That's your job. Offer to clean or something? I don't really know much about what he likes, aside from looking like he's about ten seconds away from murder." Armin laughed nervously. Levi did always look pissed off, no matter what his mood, and Armin couldn't remember actually seeing the man smile, aside from in old photographs. "I don't think he likes me anyway." He added as an afterthought, frowning to himself. There was a snort from Erwin and Armin scowled slightly. He didn't really see what was so funny.

"If he didn't like you, he wouldn't tolerate you around. Levi is very… blunt with his opinions on anything and anyone." Erwin sounded put upon. Armin had only met Levi a few times since their schedules were so different. All the encounters had been brief for the most part, too. "He avoided me for a month when Hanji introduced us."

"Mm. Either way, that's not the issue right now. You're supposed to be figuring out how to convince Levi to meet up with Eren." Armin stretched out. He had the easier job by far. All he would need to do is mention that Mikasa wouldn't like it and Eren would be sold. The one good thing about Eren's temper. There was a grumbled mockery of his words from Erwin and the little blonde laughed. "Sorry, but you know him way better than I do. Maybe Hanji could help?"

They hung up after a little more conversation that slowly veered away from what to do about their respective best friends. It would take a couple days to come up with a plan but Armin was determined to succeed. The result was predictable, at least. Eren and Levi would either hate one another and that'd be the end or they would end up enjoying one another's company. There was no real inbetween because of Eren's bullheaded personality and wire-trigger temper and the blunt, cold personality that Levi carried. With the right coaxing though…. Armin grinned to himself, putting his book on the end table. With the right coaxing, things would work out perfectly. He just hoped that neither of the two would realize that they were being ever so slightly manipulated. Eren wouldn't, probably, but Levi was smart enough to put it together.

It had been two days since Mikasa had told Eren about Jean and he still wasn't speaking to her. He would answer direct questions but that was all. There were no moments of playfully snide remarks, mock fights, or jokes. Armin ignored the tension as best he could. There was still his plan. Levi had been working nonstop and Erwin had been waiting for him to cool down before bringing up the idea of a blind date. He had told Armin that he expected Levi would walk out on him if he mentioned it with the mood the short male had been in lately. So Armin had not so patiently waited until Erwin gave the green light.

The green light came that evening, just after seven pm. Eren was still working for another couple hours but Armin was ecstatic. He had a good laugh at how Erwin had gotten him to agree, though.

"It's not funny! Do you have any idea how intense Levi is about cleaning? It's going to take me two days, if not more, before he'll let me off…." Erwin was whining. Armin was stifling the rest of his laughter.

"Wow, that's rough. All I have to do is convince Eren that it'll piss off Mikasa and he'll be sold. He still won't speak to her at all, either, so it should be pretty easy to get him to agree."

"At least the hardest part is over, I suppose. I already got grouchy pants to agree to meet Eren at that little café near the mall. Actually, it was his suggestion."

"Awesome, that's one of Eren's regular places to stop by so he won't get lost. I'm thinking that we should find a way to follow them or something, that way we'll know that they aren't lying about what happens."

"Hanji wants to watch them."

"That's a really interesting idea but do they have the restraint not to explode?"

"My reasoning exactly. Hanji would probably scare Eren, then he'd run away, and then Levi will murder me in my sleep."

Armin snorted at the indignant "I will _not_ scare him!" that was shouted from the background. The deadpan comment of "honey, you scare _everyone,_ " had to have come from Mike. He couldn't hear what else was said because Erwin had started laughing.

"Hanji is sulking in the corner."

"Poor Hanji…. What about Mike? He, at least, is discreet."

"We'd have to worry about him sniffing one of the waitresses or patrons and causing an uproar."

"He sniffs at everyone though. The only ones who notice are the ones being introduced to him…. You and I certainly can't go because Levi would get pissed once he saw us. I could probably get away with hiding but you're like a giant…."

"Excuse me for being tall. You're just tiny. Kind of like Levi."

"Excuse _you_ but I'm taller than he is."

"Boooooys, I think you're losing the topic here~!" Hanji's voice cut through whatever retort Erwin had. It sounded like the brunette had moved closer to the phone now, as well. There was a sigh from Erwin and a cackle from Hanji. "Now that we're on speaker, since it's rude to tempt others with only half the conversation…."

"Mike can follow them. Probably be better to show up before they do so he's just a part of the background." Armin shook his head as he reasoned out parts of the plan. As annoying as Hanji could be, once something got their interest they certainly didn't drop it.

"Easy enough. Levi likes to be a few minutes early so all I have to do is be earlier. You should warn Eren that he detests people being late."

"I will. And I'm going to make sure he wears something other than his band shirts. Knowing Eren, he'll probably almost be late no matter what I do, though. He's talented like that…."

The group spent another half an hour fleshing out their plan. Mike would show up at the café around one pm to give him almost twenty minutes before Levi would get there. After that, it was up to Eren to not screw it up. Armin knew his friend would be fine but it would depend on how Levi chose to react that would set the tone. Eren, while friendly, was a little ill at ease around strangers and waspish with unexpected hostility. Hopefully he would just mind his manners and remember he was out in public so he wouldn't cause a scene. Armin sighed. That hadn't worked the last time. At least Mikasa wouldn't be there to exacerbate the conflict. Or Jean. Jean's face was usually enough to make Eren mad before, Armin didn't want to think about now.

"Alright, everyone. I'll ask Eren when he gets home from work. I'll text Erwin when I have his answer so we can set up the day for them to meet and all." Armin was pleased with their plan. _It's a sound plan with as many of the variables as we can control worked out. It'll be up to them after this._ Now all he had to do was get his best friend to agree to go so that they could set the actual day for it. That would hopefully be easy enough.

Eren sighed as he took his turn in the back to wash glasses and plates. It had been a mostly silent agreement between the bartenders that they would rotate in shifts to clean the dishware. It helped keep things moving quickly and reduced stress on the cooks during the heavy dinner hours. Aside from that, it also allowed breaks from the clientele. Rowdy college kids often were their patrons and it could get stressful dealing with them sometimes. Luckily, it was the end of Eren's shift and the night had been steady without any incidents, just the way he liked it.

There was a long moment when Eren finally realized that he had been standing without doing anything for a while, the glass he held under the hot water clean, and he sighed. It was time to clock out and go home. He fervently hoped that he could get in before Mikasa. There was still tension between them. It was mostly from himself, Eren knew, but he couldn't get over the hypocrisy. Mikasa had literally chased off the last person Eren tried to date, the poor girl had fled in tears, yet his sister didn't listen to a word that he said. Alright, so his bias against Jean was simply 'he's an asshole' but no matter what, Eren had to listen to Mikasa or things would go downhill. She always treated him like he would forever be a scrawny kid getting beat up on the playground. That had been a long time ago and he could definitely take care of himself now. She just refused to see it. Eren growled to himself and none too gently set the glass into the drying rack with a loud clack.

"What's got your boxers up your ass now, Jaeger?"

Eren jumped, splashing himself slightly as he spun around with wide eyes. Annie was laughing at him from the doorway, a tray of mugs balanced on one hand while the other pushed some of her blonde hair back behind an ear. She was another bartender and server that Eren worked with and, by far, his favorite coworker. Until she did stuff like this.

"Nothing." Eren's reply was curtly annoyed and he stepped away from the sink so Annie could dump the mugs in. "I'm not washing those."

"Duh, I am. You're supposed to be clocking out now, dumbass." Annie shouldered him out of the way, the fixed look of apathy on her face giving way to a tiny smirk. "You forget that or something?"

"No, I know. I was lost in thought."

"Wow, you can think? I guess you do learn something new every day." The sarcasm in her voice would have been fatal, if Eren weren't used to it by now. He replied with a humorless "ha ha" and rolled his eyes.

He could feel her watching him as he pulled down his coat from the rack, having clocked out now, and shrugged into it. It might have been almost summer but the night was still pretty cold. "See you next week, short stuff." Eren ducked out the door before Annie could lunge at him. Eren's jabs at her height were nothing new and she wasn't even bothered by it any more. She knew that he meant nothing by it, seeing how they had gone to high school together. Eren had been acting weird the last couple days and Annie was starting to get concerned. It was likely something to do with his sister, if prior experience meant anything, but Annie didn't want to push him. Maybe he'd talk to her later, outside of work. They did have one another's cell phone numbers, afterall. Though they mainly used them to bitch about work or video games, or to see if the other was interested in going to the gym or something. Eren made a shockingly good workout buddy. _Whatever. None of my business._

"Jackass. Don't die on your way home." Annie pulled the door shut and locked it, shaking her head.

Eren made his way home, hands stuffed into his pockets, in a slightly better mood than he had been in all week. Annie had a habit of making him feel better without really saying anything at all, kind of like Armin. He had known them both so long that it was enough. They never judged him, unless he had done something really stupid, and had put up with enough of his crap that there was little danger of them turning on him. Just having a few friends like that assured him that things would eventually be okay. Mikasa would forgive him, like always, and he would just pretend nothing happened. It was the same cycle as always. _Probably not the best, though._ Eren mused to himself, sighing heavily. All the negativity he felt toward Mikasa stemmed from anger and jealousy. Anger that she wouldn't stop mothering him and jealousy that she could get away with whatever she wanted without much repercussion. The only person that Eren had ever seen Mikasa ashamed in front of had been Armin, the one time that the blonde had completely lost his temper at her for getting into a reckless fight.

All the way home, Eren wondered how to make it up to her without apologizing. He wasn't wrong for what he felt but the way he had handled it had been. His temper would likely be what got him killed one day. A small gust of wind made him shiver and pick up the pace. He was eager to get home and out of the wind. Maybe he'd play some videogames after he got a shower. The smell of alcohol, greasy food, and smoke was not something he felt like tolerating any longer, now that he was free of the bar. It didn't bother him at work, it wasn't easy to notice, but out in the fresh air… it was like a cloud that followed him around. _Shower and videogames. Perfect._ He smiled and kept going. He was only a block away from home anyway. A glance at the building revealed that Armin was home but not Mikasa. _She's probably sill in her late class or studying._ He refused to think about the third option, unwilling to ruin his mood.

"Welcome home, Eren." As usual, Armin was curled up in the chair by the window, surrounded by a pile of notebooks and textbooks. It was such a familiar sight that it was almost strange to see the blonde anywhere else.

"Hey. Mikasa not home yet?" Eren kicked off his shoes, leaving them in an untidy pile near the door, and tossed his jacket over one of the chairs situated around the kitchen island.

"No, I think she was gonna go somewhere with Jean after her class." Armin didn't miss the way Eren's shoulders tightened up at the mention of his rival. Step one: complete.

"Oh." The sound came out as more of an angry huff of air than anything else. So much for his good mood. "Good for her. I guess." Eren frowned. He was going to have to work on his attitude before he could accomplish anything but starting more fights with his sister. It was a start though.

"Still mad at her?" Armin's voice was soft and Eren sighed while shrugging slightly.

"A bit. Not about Jean though. I mean, he is an ass but that's whatever." Eren ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. "I'm more angry that she thinks she can do anything but then turns around and thinks I'm like a three year old trying to get into kitchen chemicals all the time. I'm not stupid." There was a slight flush starting to crawl up Eren's neck and onto his face. He inhaled slowly, trying to calm down.

"Wanna get back at her?" Armin had to suppress a grin. Eren obviously hadn't expected that because he looked caught between wary and astounded. It wasn't often that Armin urged him into making Mikasa even more annoyed but there had been moments. Enough was enough, though, and maybe Mikasa would listen to reason.

"What?"

"Well, I was talking with Erwin and he has a friend who's having a really shitty time. So we thought that maybe you two could have a blind date. I think you'd like each other. And—" Armin held up a finger to stop Eren from interrupting, "I know that Mikasa won't be able to scare this one away. Just agreeing to go would be enough to get back at her but, hey, bonus if you two hit it off." Armin settled back into his chair, smug smile on his face. Eren was still standing there, open-mouthed, clearly trying to piece together what had just happened. "Erwin's friend agreed already, by the way."

"I… what?" Eren blinked a couple times. And then a few more for good measure. "You're setting me up on a blind date."

"Mhm."

"Really."

"Yes, really. Do you want to go or not? Erwin needs an answer soon so his friend can make time. Busy schedule." Armin grinned wider. Eren looked like he was seriously considering it, brows furrowed slightly.

"What's Erwin's friend like?"

"Artist. Writes a little bit, too. Pretty quiet but kinda blunt and a little scary." Armin had to be careful here. He didn't want to mention too much about Levi so Eren would at least have something to start a conversation about. He had agreed with Erwin to keep as much of their descriptions secret as they could. It was supposed to be a blind date after all.

"Um… Okay. I guess I could go. No promises though, alright?" Eren shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

Armin mentally punched the air and danced around but his face was composed, a cheerful smile pulling his mouth up. "Sweet. I'll text Erwin and tell him what days you're off so he can pass it along. Oh, and Eren? His friend is gonna like you. Maybe not initially but after getting to know you so give them a chance alright?" Armin got a nod from Eren before his friend started to walk away.

"Wait, is Erwin's friend a guy or girl?"

"It's a blind date Eren. You'll find out when you get there, alright?" Armin started laughing while Eren scowled at him and stomped away. It would be interesting to see his reaction to Levi. Armin knew that Eren had only been interested in a couple guys before in his life (like Jean for a short time) so this would be a bit new to him. It would work out. Maybe not in a relationship but friends at least, and that was all that Erwin was really worried about. Levi had so few.

"Ugh. You're impossible." Eren called over his shoulder as he stepped into his room to get a change of clothing. He still needed that shower. There was quiet laughter from the living room and he sighed. At least Armin found it amusing. Eren couldn't stop a small grin from slipping onto his face. _A blind date, huh? Maybe something good will happen._ Eren located his clothes and slipped into the bathroom. He felt a little better now and he pushed the thoughts of Mikasa's anger off to the side for another day. He'd worry about that war when it started.

As he tested the water temperature, Eren found himself wondering what kind of person Erwin's friend would be. He had only met Erwin a handful of times and he had come across as very driven. Armin certainly liked him a lot and Erwin had a good head on his shoulders. He was in charge of part of Wings of Freedom, a place that did a bunch of different stuff for magazines. If Erwin was friends with his date, they couldn't be too terrible of a person, or so Eren hoped. He may not have been a shy person but meeting strangers always put him off a little.

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Reviews give me life (even when it seems like I dropped off the face of the earth). See you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Aaaaand I'm super fucking late with the update as usual.

Levi was sitting in his usual window seat. He was still trying to figure out why he was even out here on his day off. _Oh, right. Erwin made an offer I couldn't turn down._ Well. He could have turned it down but it was far _, far_ too tempting of one. He sighed and rested his arm on the edge of the table, wrist dangling over the edge, and crossed his legs. He still had a little bit before his 'date' was supposed to show up.

"Wow, look who's here! I didn't think you ever came here before four!" Petra slid a cup of tea, he came here so often that she had his orders memorized, onto the table and grinned. She was definitely his favorite worker here, never mind that they had been friends for quite some time thanks to Erwin and Hanji.

"It was shitty Eyebrows' idea. He set me up on a blind date with the best friend of his boyfriend…." Levi tried to sound like he wasn't going to a funeral. He really did.

"You agreed? That's unlike you, Levi." Petra stifled a giggle and shrugged slightly when Levi glowered up at her. He seemed to deflate a little bit as he picked up his cup, fingers around the rim rather than the handle, and sipped at it.

"He bribed me." Levi rolled his eyes and snorted slightly. "He agreed to help me clean the ENTIRE flat until I approve of it. Literally every part, Petra. Do you know how long I've been trying to get those idiots to do that?" He set his cup down gently and scrubbed lightly at his face. "Months, Petra. Months. So if all I have to do is deal with some chick, I'll take it. Hell, could be a guy. Erwin wouldn't tell me anything." He scowled lightly. It bothered him but he'd deal with it. The ordeal would be worth it just to get revenge through cleaning.

"Have fun~! I wanna hear about it later, alright? Oh and Levi?" Petra paused on her way back behind the counter. "Don't scare your date off right away, kay?"

"I fucking hate you." Levi glowered at her as she strode away, chuckling under her breath. She was one of very few who could get away with teasing him and not have to worry about more than a scowl as retribution. Levi was still cursing Erwin and his eyebrows when he checked his watch. The mystery date had ten minutes to show up before he left. Erwin never said anything about Levi waiting around for a long time if the person was late. Levi hated waiting around. He sipped his tea, holding the cup firmly around the rim. His eyes slid around the shop, over the other customers, over the displays and he found himself taking up time by wondering how he would light a shoot in here. Such was the curse of being a photographer. Good thing he liked the job, however much he complained. The jingle of the door opening startled him out of a complicated mental lighting setup and his eyes narrowed slightly. _Why is Erwin's blondie here?_ Then realization hit him as his eyes fell on the guy who had walked in with Armin. _Is he supposed to be my 'date'? Good lord._

Eren had been staring into his closet with narrowed eyes when his bedroom door had been all but kicked in. He spun around, expecting Mikasa, but was greeting with the sight of an out-of-breath Armin.

"Where's the fire?" Eren raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. He had no idea why Armin was in such a violent mood. The blonde normally knocked instead of charging into Eren's room like a bull in a china shop.

"What are you planning to wear? You can't go looking like you crawled out of your clothes hamper with the first things you grabbed." Armin drew in a deep breath, trying to get his heart rate back to normal. He had been held up for a few long minutes, minutes that he had needed to get back to the flat and make sure Eren wasn't going to make a fool of himself.

"I hadn't decided yet, King of Clothing." Eren's voice was annoyed and slightly excited. He hadn't been on a date since… nope, he wasn't going to go there. He didn't want to think about that guy. That would just create a bad mood and he was determined to be in as good of one as he could be. First impressions were important. He shook his head and stumbled when Armin lightly pushed him out of the way so the shorter male could see into Eren's closet himself. There wasn't much that Eren could do at this point. Not now that Armin had it in his head that Eren had no idea how to pick out decent clothes.

Ten minutes, a lot of muttering from Armin, and several annoyed sighs from Eren later, he was finally pronounced to be presentable. Armin crossed his arms, rather pleased with himself. He hadn't known if the mix of clothes would look right on Eren until he had forced his best friend to try. The result was perfect. _Levi can't say Eren looks like a homeless person, at least._ Eren, too, seemed pleased with the result, despite his mutterings and complaints. Armin snickered as Eren eyed himself in the mirror. _Job well done, indeed._

Eren could almost feel Armin's smugness from behind him. There wasn't much denying that Armin had known what he was doing. Dark jade polo, black stonewashed jeans, and Eren's pair of black combat boots worked together nicely. Eren hadn't worn the boots since his overly emo phase in high school. The jeans, he had no idea when or how he had acquired them. He certainly never had a thing for 'artfully torn' jeans, such a stupid concept. It'd be cheaper to buy regular ones and rip them yourself. Ignoring that, though, Eren had to admit that he looked nice. Maybe a bit more so than usual.

"Okay, fine. You're a genius." Eren rolled his eyes and laughed as Armin sniffed and looked away. "Wait, what time is it?" Eren grabbed his phone and fumbled to wake it up so he could see the clock.

"Fuck!" Armin beat Eren to it, having checked his own phone faster. "You gotta get going!" And he put words to action, practically shoving Eren out the door after the brunet grabbed his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket, along with his keys. Armin slung his messenger bag over his shoulder on his way out the door, slamming it and locking it after Eren stepped out of the way.

Eren found himself jogging behind Armin, who seemed determined to drag him the entire way to the café, regardless of Eren knowing where it was. People were giving them weird looks as the pair passed them on the sidewalks and more than a few of them were pointing.

"Armin, you can let go of me!" Eren jerked his wrist free and lengthened his stride to match paces with the shorter blonde. He ran a hand through his hair and shook out the arm that the shorter blond had been dragging him by. "Do we really have to run?"

"Yes! You can't be late. Absolutely not." Armin shook his head for emphasis and coughed; long distance running never was his thing. The book bag smacking into his side wasn't helping matters either. He ignored the look on Eren's face and kept running. "I'll go once we get there though. I don't want to be a creepy stalker." _Plus, Levi might set me on fire if he thinks I'm there to spy on them._

Eren chewed his lip for a moment, mulling over what Armin had said. Maybe this date wouldn't like Eren at all. And then he'd be stuck alone until he sufficiently fixed his pride enough to go home. "Actually…. Armin, could you stay? Just in case this mystery person doesn't like me?" He didn't look at his friend because he was embarrassed that he had even admitted that worry. Eren usually kept his fears to himself.

Armin was quiet for a moment. "Sure. I'll just try to make sure I'm not seen." _I doubt Levi will care too much as long as I'm well away from him and sit with my back to them. Hopefully it just looks like Eren was too nervous to come on his own…._ Unexpected developments never threw Armin for long and if he could keep Eren from freaking out, all the better. He assumed that as long as he didn't seem to be eavesdropping or anything, Levi wouldn't care too much. He was probably going to be annoyed since that seemed to be his usual state of being. Armin was glad that he had thought to grab his bag before leaving. "I'll just work on my research paper or something." _I'll just have to text Erwin and tell him I'll be over later than planned._

"I'll just tell who ever I'm meeting that I forced you to come with me. Then you won't have to worry about being creepy or whatever." Eren was relieve ,md that they could slow down to a normal walking pace now. The café was only a couple blocks away and it wouldn't be fun to show up with people staring at him oddly. Now that he wasn't running, though, Eren could feel his shirt sticking slightly to his skin from sweat. "So much for that shower earlier…."

Levi scowled at his phone and the clock. His 'date' was late. Erwin had said that Armin warned him that it was a likelihood but all the same; it was annoying. And it started threads of doubt. What if he was stood up? He'd have to listen to Petra's sympathy and he really wasn't in the mood for that. This entire week had been one disaster after another and Levi knew Erwin was stressing out over his behavior. So what if the interns were jumpy little fuckers, that wasn't his fault. Okay so maybe the fast exits had been. Levi scowled into his second cup of tea, glaring more at the reflection of his face. _I look tired._ Who was he kidding, he looked like hell. Hopefully it wasn't as obvious to strangers as it was to himself.

The time passed slowly before the moderate quiet was broken by the jingle of the bell on the shop's door. Levi barely heard Petra calling out a welcome. He only looked up when he heard Armin's voice reply. His eyes narrow, Levi ran them over the blond, and he wondered if the kid was here to break the news that Levi was stood up. Those thoughts died when he took in the other boy standing awkwardly with Armin. He was taller than Erwin's brat by a decent bit and his hair was messy enough that Levi honestly wondered if he had bothered to brush it at all. Grey eyes watched as the brunet looked around warily, jumping when his eyes met Levi's. _Is that him, I wonder._ Armin looked over and winced slightly before shoving his taller friend in Levi's direction before slinking into a back corner with his shoulders hunched. _Not bad._

Eren wanted to fall through the floor when he met the grey eyes of a man sitting in a booth halfway along the windows. The stranger had been watching him with an unnerving concentration and Eren had nearly jumped out of his skin when Armin shoved him that way. _Holy shit, he's hot._ It felt like his thoughts were tripping over one another as Eren slowly made his way over to the table and stood awkwardly for a moment.

"You're Armin's friend, then?" The stranger spoke first, his voice flat and only slightly shy of hostile. His head tilted slightly as he looked up at Eren, hand resting around the rim of a tea cup. When Eren nodded, he added, "I'm Levi."

"I'm Eren. Nice to meet you, Levi." Eren carefully sat down across from Levi, trying not to openly stare. His date turned out to be far more handsome than he had thought. And a guy, but that wasn't too much of a worry. There was an awkward silence while Eren and Levi eyed one another. Petra slipped in without much notice, gently setting a soda on the table for Eren before she made her exit with a slight smirk.

"Tell me about yourself." Levi broke the silence. He snorted softly when Eren jumped and glanced at him. The brat's eyes were an interesting shade of teal, he was awkward and probably nervous, and Levi found that he didn't mind the lateness so much. _Time will tell._ He lounged back in his side of the booth, draping an arm over the back of the seat to wait.

"Uhm. Well, I work at a bar. I'm a bartender / server. I dropped out of college freshman year and haven't really been able to get back. I live with my adopted sister and Armin, don't work out as much as I probably should, and play too many videogames." Eren fidgeted and looked down at his glass, drawing a finger through the condensation. He sounded like a kid, minus the job part.

"I work as a photographer and editor. I room with Shitty Eyebrows, which would be Erwin, Shitty Glasses who is also called Hanji, and a weirdo named Mike." Levi offered his own small bit of info, trying to at least get the kid to relax. "And, whatever the blond mushroom has told you, I don't bite." He smirked at the look of appalled amusement on Eren's face.

"Where do you get those nicknames for people?" Eren asked through muffled laughter. He hadn't really thought Levi had much of a sense of humor but there it was.

"Erwin's eyebrows could star in a b-rated horror movie. Hanji annoys the shit out of me and they wear glasses so 'shitty glasses.' Mike is just Mike. Armin? Really, you have to ask me that? His haircut makes him look like a mushroom. Hmmm or a kid He-man." Levi rubbed his chin with the back of his free hand and sipped at his tea. Eren's laugh was pleasant and not anywhere near as loud as Hanji's. _Another point for the brat._

"I see." Eren finally managed to stop laughing. "I don't really have many nicknames for my friends. Connie and Sasha are collectively known as 'Monkey See, Monkey Do' by everyone." A shadow crossed Eren's face and he covered the sticky moment by taking a quick drink of his pop. He had been one step away from mentioning Horseface and that was the last thing he wanted to think about when he was actually having a good time.

"So why's Armin here, anyway? Aren't you usually supposed to be left to your own devices on a blind date?" Levi was looking out the window now, having set his tea down.

"I, ah, was too chicken to come on my own…." Eren's reply was mumbled so softly that Levi almost didn't catch it. The brunet's face flamed when Levi barked out a short laugh and ran a hand through his black hair.

"I see." Levi mimicked Eren's response earlier, relaxing a little. It was surprisingly entertaining to rile the other male up. He had such entertaining reactions. Levi was actually beginning to enjoy himself. It didn't even really bother him that his date was a little disheveled from having obviously rushed to show up. That little bit negated some of the gross factor. "And here I figured he was here to spy on me."

"Huh?"

"Erwin has been hounding me since he got me to agree. I wouldn't be surprised to find out I'd been followed to make sure that I was going to go through." Levi made a disgruntled noise. "They don't trust me much when it comes to making friends. Or dating." The last was added as an afterthought and he sipped at his tea. _Way to be awkward._

"Oh. I'm lucky Mikasa never noticed anything or she _would_ have followed me." Eren's eyes narrowed as he watched a yellow jacket buzzing angrily outside. The wasp looked like it was trying its damnedest to get inside and murder everyone.

Levi tilted his head. Armin had mentioned Mikasa, in passing, to Erwin before. From what Levi had overheard, she was Eren's adopted sister with a mom streak from hell. "Why would she?" Levi wanted to know why Eren looked so angry. He had to refrain from snorting in laughter when he noticed the kid was having a staredown with a yellow jacket that was outside. He didn't miss the way Eren's shoulders rose up slightly with a new anger or the way his eyes narrowed. _Tch, if looks could kill._

"My sister has issues with me doing anything she doesn't approve of first." Eren's reply was terse and he knew his tone was bitchy but he couldn't help it. The injustice was still too new for him to react with any kind of grace. He turned away from the wasp bumping into the window to find that Levi was watching him. Levi had his head tilted very slightly to the side and there was the smallest of furrows between his eyebrows as he frowned in confused. It was then that Eren felt his train of thought happily derail into useless territory. _Oh shit, he's hot. How did I not notice that before._ Eren swallowed hard, covering the odd action by drinking his pop. He rubbed at his temple with the heel of his left hand, willing himself back into the conversation.

"Armin did mention something about her being overbearing." Levi was concerned when Eren made a noise like he was choking, but the look on the brunet's face was mortified enough that Levi didn't mention it. Maybe he had inhaled wrong or something. It happened. He was startle by Eren's bark of laughter.

"Overbearing is mild. She almost brow beat the last person I was seeing out the door. I wouldn't be surprised if they had gotten a restraining order against Mikasa." Eren's voice was dangerously close to a scoff. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, the strands sticking out everywhere in chaos. "She's not always that bad. It just gets overwhelming sometimes and I have a temper problem. Sorry for going off like that." Eren flushed slightly. _Some date I am. Bringing up unhappy things that no stranger really needs to know._ He sighed and looked back outside, scowling slightly.

"Calm down. It's not like I'm completely unfamiliar with everything," Levi rolled his eyes and leaned back against his chair. He laced his fingers together and rested his hands in his lap. "I do hear Armin talking to my flat mates even if I'm not in the room." _No, the only thing I'm not really that familiar with is you, brat._ Levi had imagined that Armin's friend would have been more like the blonde. Boy, had he been wrong. Eren was anything but like Armin. It seemed like he had the temper that Levi had heard describe, though.

"Er… Right. I'm almost afraid to ask what you've overheard…." Eren scowled at his drink again. This entire situation was weird. He decided that it was likely because this 'date' was a setup and not something that they had agreed to on their own. It felt a little stiff but he guessed that was about right for two strangers meeting for the first time.

"Not a whole lot, relax. I'm usually not really paying attention. I don't get the feeing that Armin likes me all that much." Levi sipped at his tea and rolled his eyes. "At least, I assume that since he always looks scared if I ask him something." He stretched slightly, scowling out the window when a kid made a face at him through the glass.

"Armin thinks you hate him." Eren tilted his head to the side and contemplated on if he wanted to get something to eat. He had left without grabbing anything, after all. "He says you always look like you want to chase him out or something. Personally, I think he's just nervous." Eren snorted at the look on Levi's face. "Relax, Armin is little weird around people he hasn't spent a lot of time with. It took him forever to warm up to Sasha and Connie."

"Tch." Levi shook his head. He could understand why Armin was nervous around him though. His perpectual resting bitch face certainly wasn't useful to making friends. Add that to his sarcastic attitude and shitty sense of humor… Yeah, he could easily see why. Plus, it hadn't helped that Armin had walked in on Levi shouting at Hanji for making a mess in the kitchen that one time. The butcher's knife in his hand probably helped, too. _Oh well._ "I can understand that. I'm not really friendly."

There was a bit of an awkward silence after that in which they both avoided looking at one another. Eren eventually muttered that he was hungry and got up to go browse the menu, leaving Levi on his own for a moment before the raven, too, got up to get something. Levi wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was curious about Eren. So far, he hadn't really acted that intimidated by Levi's personality—a first for the older man since he was usually known for terrifying interns and strangers alike.

They returned with their food, Eren had gotten a chocolate croissant and Levi had decided on a BLT, after scoffing at Eren's choice in overly sugary foods. They made small talk while they ate, Levi asked more about Eren's job and visa versa. After that, they asked random questions, just trying to feel out the other a bit better without being overly blunt about it. It wasn't long before Levi decided to let a little of his actual personality show before Eren got the idea that he _liked_ him or something, since Eren was showing signs of not believing anything Armin had told him about Levi—or that Levi himself had said.

"Hey, brat? I was gonna ask this earlier but I didn't want to scare you off straight away but…. Do you always go to dates looking like you rolled out of bed and left?" Levi gestured at Eren's hair and untucked shirt. The jeans were worn but that was typical of those pants. His boots were dusty, too, but Levi wasn't that bothered. It was more the hair and messy shirt that annoyed him.

"I—excuse me?" Eren's green eyes were wide with surpise as he stared at Levi. The older man shrugged.

"Your hair is a mess, your shirt isn't tucked in right…." Levi raised an eyebrow in a mocking manner. He knew he was nitpicking but the indignant look on Eren's face was worth it. Never mind that it really was something he was curious about, having never really been on that many formal dates.

"My hair is always like this, thanks." Eren refrained from commenting on his shirt. It had probably gotten messed up on the run over here. _What the shit? I know Armin said he's rude but what the fuck._ "I didn't realize you were such an appearances matter type of person." Eren couldn't help the growl that had crept into his voice.

"Oh, I'm not. I just was honestly curious. Most people make an effort to impress someone but it doesn't look like you did." Levi knew what he was doing already. Sabotage it early, Eren leaves in a fury, Erwin has to pay up, and he's free to ignore everyone's prodding that he's dwelling and stuck in an unhealthy pattern. They were playing it up, he was fine. That's what annoyed him about this entire thing.

"Wow. I'd ask if you were always a jackass to your dates but from what Armin said, you probably are." Eren's cheeks were tinting pink in anger and he could feel himself shaking slightly. "I'm not sure we'd work anyway. You're too damn short."

Levi paused, his mouth snapping shut, and slowly raised his eyes to meet Eren's. He took a small amount of pride in the slight flicker of unease in those eyes but he was trying to reign in his temper. "Excuse me?" There was an irony in parroting Eren's own reaction back at him; minus the shock. He didn't overly care about the slight. He had been called worse things in his life and the opinion of some bright-eyed brat wouldn't ruin his day.

"You're really fucking short. Your bad attitude probably stunted your growth." Eren knew the second he stopped talking that he'd fucked up. The look on Levi's face probably could have made a statue shit itself. The way his silver eyes narrowed, the twist of his lips, and the small wrinkles across his nose that hinted at a snarl…. It was actually rather terrifying. He saw Levi shift and then there was a sharp, throbbing pain in his kneecap.

"Excuse me, Eren. I'll be back in a moment." In the same motion Levi used to kick Eren in the shin, he swung up so that he was leaning over the table, inches from the brunet's face, and made sure to lay on his most cheerful customer service face as he excused himself. Once he had turned around, his face twisted back into a scowl as he stalked towards the bathroom. It wasn't the ideal place to catch a break but it would do. There was a half-formed idea that Levi was seriously considering acting on in order to get out of here before things got worse. _Coward._ He flinched at his own thought, the one that often spoke in Isabel's voice. Truth be told, he was being a coward. _Why are you like this?_ He glowered at himself in the mirror for a moment, washed his hands, and went back to where the teal-eyed brat was waiting. He could at least try to be civil.

Eren actually jumped a little when Levi came back. The flush that immediately spread across his face after indicated that it had been an unintentional reaction and Levi almost tok pity on the kid. Almost. He was a little bit nicer even though the conversation was kind of stilted for a while. He'd expected it but it was still a bit awkward. Eren, for his part, kept his eyes on the table most of the time. Things eventually settled back down to an almost easy companionship when Levi's phone went off. He glanced at it and sighed.

"Sorry, but I gotta go. Apparently one of my idiot roommates locked themselves out." Levi quickly stood up. "It was nice meeting you. Maybe we can do this again sometime. When we're not being forced into it."

"A-ah, sure. It was nice meeting you." _Even though you kicked me, asshole._ Eren took the slip of paper he was handed and stuffed it in his pocket without really looking at it. He extended his hand after a moment and watched as Levi almost frowned before he shook it. Levi's grip was firm, despite his reluctance, and his hands were calloused. He nodded slightly as he withdrew his hand and walked to the register to pay. Eren sat for a moment, watching Levi pay and leave. _Damn he can walk. No, bad Eren._ He was going to end up blushing like a school girl with a crush if he didn't watch it.

Once Levi had left his line of sight, Eren gathered up his own things and made his way up to pay for his food. He'd go collect Armin after and then they could go home or whatever since Eren didn't have to work that night.

"Oh, Levi paid for you already honey." The same pretty girl that had been serving earlier grinned at Eren, her eyes almost sparkling. "I think he likes you."

"He kicked me." Eren deadpanned, too unsure of the situation to be polite. Why had Levi paid for him? None of this made any sense.

"He'll warm up eventually. He's always like that at first. Have a nice day!" Petra, her nametag read, waved him out. She was still grinning.

Armin was waiting by the door, one eyebrow raised, as Eren made his way over. "How'd it go?"

"Ar, I have no fucking idea."

AN: Hopefully I'll be back in a more timely manner. Until next time!


End file.
